CALIFORNIA: Microsoft’s “Get Windows 10” nagware will be killed off in July, the tech giant has told us.
The software has been worming its way into Windows PCs via Windows Update since last year using aggressive malware-like techniques and frequent pop-up reminders.
It quietly downloads and installs Windows 10 automatically for you, and then cheerfully offers to switch your PC over to the new operating system for free, interrupting TV broadcasts, businesses and home users in the process.
Now, kinda like the alien invaders in War of the Worlds suddenly ceased their attacks and sloped off into the obsidian oblivion, Get Windows 10 is going to stop offering its upgrade and vanish into the night, we’re told.
Not because its caught some kind of bug or that some people were being driven round the bend by the pushy GWX installer – rather the disappearing act will coincide with Microsoft ending its offer of free upgrades to Windows 10 on July 29.
A spokesperson for the software giant told us on Friday.
Details are still being finalized, but on July 29th the Get Windows 10 app that facilitates the easy upgrade to Windows 10 will be disabled and eventually removed from PCs worldwide. Just as it took time to ramp up and roll out the Get Windows 10 app, it will take time to ramp it down.
After that date, you’ll have to sort yourself out, or breath a sigh of relief in the ensuing silence if you’re holding out on Windows Vista, 7 or 8.
Crucially, Microsoft will continue to push out security fixes for Windows Vista until April 11, 2017; Windows 7 until January 14, 2020; and January 10, 2023 for Windows 8 – unless you cut a special deal with Redmond for longer support. Without those fixes, you’ll be better off unplugging your machine for good.
